Leah Garchik of the SF Chron on my grandmother

A brief personal note to the end the week. On April 18, 1906, my great grandparents were scheduled to attend the opera in San Francisco to see Enrico Caruso perform. He never did. It It was 102 years ago today that San Francisco shook awake in the early morning hours. My great grand-parents were living at the Palace Hotel at the time, and they survived the earthquake and fires that followed. So did their ticket.

“…. in The Chronicle last week for Lucille Frank Clumeck, “life-long San Franciscan” whose grandfather had been mayor of Sacramento. According to the obit, Clumeck, who was known as “Mame” and who died at 95, “had in her possession her grandparents’ unused tickets to see Enrico Caruso perform at the S.F. Opera House on the evening of April 18, 1906, a performance that for obvious reasons never took place.” May your own commemoration be shake-free.”

Also kind of cool, the following item in Garchik’s column calls attention to one of the last living survivors of the quake and fire, guess where she lives now, yep, right here in El Dorado Hills:

And Jeanette Scola Trapani, born April 21, 1902, on Telegraph Hill, wasn’t scheduled to be at Lotta’s Fountain this morning because she’s living in El Dorado Hills and her daughter says the drive is too long. Her family is planning a birthday party on Monday. When the quake struck, she remembers her grandfather carrying her across the street from the family’s Cow Hollow residence so the building wouldn’t fall on them. They lived in the Presidio for two weeks after the quake.

Ms. Garchik and Mrs. Trapani, let us know if you would like to see the ticket or just want to talk about San Francisco.